Oxford Biomedica Signs Development, Manufacture & License Agreement with Beam Therapeutics Inc., for LentiVector® Platform for Next Generation CAR-T Therapeutics

Oxford, UK – 3 August 2020: Oxford Biomedica plc (LSE:OXB) (“Oxford Biomedica” or “the Group”), a leading gene and cell therapy group, announced today that it has signed a new Development, Manufacture & License Agreement (“DMLA”) with Beam Therapeutics Inc. (“Beam”) (Nasdaq: BEAM), a Cambridge, Mass.-based biotechnology company developing precision genetic medicines through the use of base editing. The DMLA grants Beam a non-exclusive license to Oxford Biomedica’s LentiVector^® platform for its application in next generation CAR-T programmes in oncology and puts in place a three year Clinical Supply Agreement.

Under the terms of the DMLA, Oxford Biomedica will receive an undisclosed upfront payment, as well as payments related to development and manufacturing of lentiviral vectors for use in clinical trials, and certain development and regulatory milestones for products sold by Beam that utilise Oxford Biomedica’s LentiVector^® platform and an undisclosed royalty on the net sales of products sold by Beam that utilise the Group’s LentiVector^® platform. 

Oxford Biomedica is currently working on one pre-clinical programme with Beam, and the Agreement allows for the Parties to initiate additional projects in the future.

John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Biomedica, said: “Beam Therapeutics is one of the leading next-generation CAR-T developers who deploy a wide range of innovative technologies to bring innovative CAR-T products into development. We are proud to be working with a leader in the field of gene editing technologies, including base editing, and this provides us another valuable opportunity for our LentiVector^® platform to support innovative product development of CAR-T products.

“This is our third announced partnership with leaders in the CAR-T field, building on our longstanding partnership with Novartis and our more recently announced partnership with Bristol Myers Squibb earlier this year. We look forward to supporting the next generation CAR-T programmes at Beam.”